1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing device including a mode selection processing portion capable of selecting a desired operational mode from a plurality of operational modes, a program registration processing portion for storing in a program memory portion the operational mode selected by the mode selection processing portion as a piece of program information, a program selection processing portion capable of selecting a desired piece of program information from a plurality of pieces of program information stored in the program memory portion, and a program call processing portion for setting the operational mode on the basis of the piece of program information selected by the program selection processing portion.
2. Description of the Related Art
Multifunction photocopiers are an example of the image forming device and capable of selecting from a variety of operational modes including: image processing-related operational modes such as enlarge/reduce modes in which to enlarge or reduce the original image read by the scanner and lighten/darken modes in which to lighten or darken the original image when copied; image forming-related operational modes such as paper setting modes in which to set the paper drawer or the size and color of paper and simplex/duplex printing modes; and finisher of the output (e.g., stapling and punching). The term operational mode, as used herein, refers to one of the various selectable functions of the multifunction photocopier.
The operational modes need to be set by an operator every time they are necessary, which requires repetition of handling by the operator. This is not so much a problem when the setting is simple such as for the number of paper sheets to be copied or the size of paper, but becomes rather laborious when setting many operational modes at the same time such as specific zoom ratios and margin shift.
To address this inconvenience and in an attempt to improve the workability and convenience for the operator and eventually to prevent mishandling of the operator, the image forming devices including the multifunction photocopiers are adapted to be able to register in advance in the memory frequently used operational modes as program information.
Such image forming device greatly facilitates setting of desired operational modes by the operator even when they are complex operational modes; the operator may effect a calling operation of corresponding pieces of program information registered in the memory.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-24511 discloses a multi-mode image processing device including copy mode input setting means of inputting a plurality of copy modes for paper size, copy ratio, image editing, duplex copying, finisher, and the like, thus allowing for a copying operation in a copy mode input and set by the input setting means.
This image forming device further includes copy mode calling/registering means having two functions of calling and registering the copy mode set by the copy mode input setting means, and control means of switching between calling and registration of the program by the copy mode calling/registering means depending on the status of the image processing device.
However, when the image processing device registers therein numerous pieces of program information and the operator selects a desired piece of program information, the operator has to do the laborious work of finding out the desired piece of program information from among the registered numerous pieces of program information.
Specifically, when the image processing device lists on its display portion pieces of program information among which to select a necessary piece of program information, then the operator has to find out the desired piece of program information by visually checking the listings while manually changing pages for a new list or scrolling down the screen, occasionally ending up in more laborious work.
Usually, each of the registered pieces of program information is assigned an individual name for identification. However, if the operator forgets the name assigned to a desired piece of program information, it is almost impossible to select the piece of program information.